Why Creative Word Vomit is a Good Thing

So I'm currently in the read through part of the editing process and it's... different. 

Let me clarify.

When I was writing, I was so focused on getting words onto paper (or computer screen) that I didn't bother with anything other than grammar. This resulted in just about every chapter being in past tense (it's supposed to be present tense), some major timeline consistency problems, characters dropping off the face of the earth for like ten chapters at a time, and the realization of something rather interesting. 

The story that I set out to write is not the one that came out on paper.

Don't get me wrong, a lot of it is the same, but I ended up changing a major part of the story. I had started out writing about a siren who pursues a music career despite her mother trying to kill her. What I ended up with was the story of a siren whose mother is trying to kill her while she struggles with the realities of being a siren, like the desire to kill. 

I liked the idea of the irony of a siren being a professional singer and how that would play out. I wanted to explore that concept. But the more I wrote, the more the music career fell by the wayside and this alternate concept of a siren who doesn't want to kill, but that's against her nature. That second concept was always intended to be in the story, but I never thought it would become a main plot point and major conflict in the story. 

So why do I say all this?

As I was writing, I read more writing tips than I probably should have. I kept seeing all these posts about writing the story that wants to be written and just sitting down and letting the story flow out and all I have to say is that those statements couldn't be more accurate. So many times I sat down to write something specific. I had a complete, detailed scene in my head ready to be written. But an hour later, I looked up from the keyboard to find a completely different idea on the screen. 

Sometimes your subconscious writer knows better than your logical mind. I ended up with a far better story (I think) kind of by accident, but I'm so glad for it. Now I can confidently edit, knowing I wrote the right story. I know it's often hard in practice to relax and just be creative, but sometimes impromptu creative word vomit is better in the long run.

<3
KMG